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Ambassador Young-mok Kim

Ambassador Young-mok Kim

President

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)

Ambassador Young-mok Kim has led the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) since May 2013 as President. He was a career diplomat who served for 35 years with posts to Africa, the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the US.

Having specialized in Korea-US bilateral relations and global issues throughout his career, Ambassador Kim participated in policy-making and execution of security and economic agenda. He also participated in a number of negotiations with North Korea, along with the US and multilateral delegations on North Korea’s nuclear program. He assumed a leading role within the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), which was established to deal with the North Korean nuclear deal, as Deputy Executive Director for policy and the nuclear power plant project.

During his career, he worked intensively with the private sector – corporations, media, and NGOs – on trade, finance, social development, and culture. He assisted Ms. Park Geun-hye during her presidential campaign as senior advisor for international and reunification policy and served in the “Government Transfer Working Committee” after her election.

As Korean ODA grows, as well as the expectation of international community, KOICA is working hard to join the mainstream of International Dvelopment efforts. As head of KOICA, Mr. Kim intesively promotes "Inclusive Partnership," which is also emphasized in the MDGs, the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Busan Partnership. Mr. Kim is expanding the role KOICA as a platform for diverse public, private players and stakeholders.

Ambassador Kim graduated from Seoul National University and received the diplôme at the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris, France in 1982. He was a visiting scholar at Columbia University in 2002. He received a number of recognitions and awards from various public and private organizations. He was given Red Stripes for Order of Service Merit by the Korean government and awarded Commander of the Order of Merit by the government of Senegal. Ambassador Kim is married with one son and one daughter.